Postie delivers $217,000 in faked sickies - Hong Kong

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A postman admitted using fake medical certificates to claim HK$217,000 for 632 days of paid sick leave over a 40-month period.
District Court Judge Frankie Yiu Fun-che was told that Tang Lai-kit, 40, used 130 fake certificates to claim paid sick leave between September 2009 and January this year.

Tang was employed as a contract-based non-civil servant in March 2006 and received a daily wage ranging from HK$335 to HK$359.

He worked at the new mail distribution division of the General Post Office at Central, doing manual work such as weighing, distributing and delivering mail.

On September 4, 2009, Tang claimed two days of paid sick leave, amounting to HK$670, because of back pain.



The court heard that employees could claim paid leave as long as they provided medical certificates.

Their injuries did not necessarily have to be work related.

On December 1, 2009, the defendant said he hurt his middle finger while helping a colleague and was given three days' leave after he provided a certificate issued by a pubic hospital.

He later blamed the injured finger for causing him to suffer an anxiety disorder.

In all, he submitted a total of 130 medical certificates and was given HK$217,381 in paid sick leave.

In February last year, and in view of his medical history, the post office asked Tang to talk to the medical committee to evaluate his health and recovery.

At first, Tang refused to hand in his medical report but then submitted three copies of his medical history to the committee in March, July and August last year.

The committee became suspicious and informed the Independent Commission Against Corruption.

Tang was arrested in January at his home in Wan Chai, where investigators found 901 sheets of blank doctors' certificates and stamps belonging to two doctors.

Pang admitted he bought the blank certificates and stamps on a popular mainland internet portal.

He was yesterday remanded in custody until December 20 pending background reports before sentencing.

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A postal worker was jailed for 26 months after using fake medical certificates to claim HK$217,000 for 632 days of paid sick leave over a 40-month period.

Tang Lai-kit, 40, had earlier admitted to 39 counts of possessing and using false documents, and possessing equipment for making a false instrument.

A lawyer for Tang told the District Court that his client was a diligent worker.

A letter to the court told how he had been working as a contract-based non-civil servant at the new mail distribution division of the General Post Office at Central since 2006.

But he felt alienated by his colleagues and was afraid of going to work.

From September 2010, he began displaying symptoms of insomnia, illusion and auditory hallucination.

Tang sought medical treatment in August last year and was referred to the department of psychiatry at Queen Mary Hospital.

However, his request to be suspended from his job was unsuccessful.

Tang was incapable of handling his relationship with colleagues and did not intend to cheat. He could not afford to pay back the money he had received for his sick leave.

Tang, who had no criminal record, showed remorse and pleaded for leniency.

But Judge Frankie Yiu Fun-che said yesterday Tang possessed fake sick notes, the tools to produce them, filled in his own information and then filed for leave.

Although he was not cheating directly for cash, he was out of work for more than 600 days and received over HK$200,000, said Judge Yiu, adding the case was a serious one in which Tang had clearly intended to commit a crime.

On September 4, 2009, Tang claimed two days of paid sick leave, amounting to HK$670, because of back pain.

On December 1, 2009, he said he hurt his middle finger while helping a colleague, and was granted three days' leave after he presented a certificate issued by a pubic hospital.

He then claimed 632 days of sick leave with 130 fake medical certificates and was paid a total of HK$217,381.

Tang was arrested in January at his Wan Chai home, where 901 sheets of blank certificates and stamps belonging to two doctors were found.